Forever Zero, Nevermore
by Lord Chaltier
Summary: A forbidden love between two races. Oneshot Serge x Irenes.


Chrono Cross

-Forever Zero, Nevermore-

The small island town of Marbule. It was once a safe haven for oft persecuted Demi-humans, a race that was under constant oppression and dictation by the supposedly "superior" race, that of human beings. However, due to the efforts of a select few, Marbule had become a town full of love and happiness, for human and demi-human alike. There was no more racism or persecution, only equality and justice for all who came upon the town.

Three key figures could be credited the most for the social reconstruction of Marbule:

Nikki, a performing rock star and member of the musical troupe, the Magical Dreamers. He came from a human father and a demi-human mother, bearing the agony of his mother's legacy, along with the arrogance of his father's. Using his natural talent, Nikki was able to send out a message to all those who watched his show upon the cruise ship, the Zelbess, that day. It was a message of peace, subtley hidden within his performance. That message touched the hearts of many, be they human or demi-human.

Fargo, commander of the Zelbess. While his ship was once a feared pirate vessel called the S.S. Invincible, Fargo ultimately changed it into a place of entertainment, and named it after his beloved wife. But, by surrounding himself with such lavish accomodations, Fargo sealed himself off from his own heart, and only was able to regain what he had lost through the performance of his son, Nikki.

However, both Nikki and Fargo were only able to convey their own ideals of equality with the help of a lone, quiet boy from a fishing village...

And soon, this boy will learn what Fargo had, so very long ago. Something that can transcend the realms of time, space, and race, all the same...

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It was the final eve before the last showdown with the Time Devourer, destroyer of worlds and timelines alike. Serge, the noble young lad from the village of Arni, had learned of his destiny as the Chrono Trigger, and served his purpose. However, that very purpose was twisted and distorted by the views of the Dragon Gods, who had used Serge and his allies to eliminate the Goddess of Fate, so that they could become whole once again. And now, the Time Devourer was waiting patiently for its final attempt to rid the world of the meddling Serge, and take El Nido all for itself.

The Time Egg that Serge held in his stout hands was the key to the realm in which the Time Devourer currently resided, biding its time before meeting the Chrono Trigger for one final battle.

But before all of that, Serge had fulfilled a simple request of one of his friends. She was Irenes, a mermaid who had resided in Marbule before joining in on the crusade for racial equality with Nikki. Irenes had quietly requested that they visit Marbule to see how the restoration efforts were coming along, as the group hadn't visited Marbule since they saw the Magical Dreamer's show aboard the Zelbess.

After Nikki's performance, the two races began to set aside their differences and rebuild the once-deserted Marbule to an even better place than it had been previously, one that would welcome any race, be they human, dwarf, fairy, it didn't matter. Marbule was set to become a place of true fairness and equality.

As Serge and his companions stepped into Marbule, they were met with a shocking sight.

Marbule, the town once known only for its cold hearted demi-human inhabitants, had been completely reborn.

"Welcome to Marbule, fair travelers!" A demi-human greeted Serge and company warmly as they came into view. "This is a place of peace and love! All are welcome! Please enjoy your stay!"

Serge nodded happily, then turned back to Irenes, who was following behind him. He could see tears of joy beginning to mist within the young sea maiden's eyes. The dream of Irenes' sister, Zelbess, and many others, was finally starting to come true. No longer were the demi-humans driven into slavery by humans, they now worked side-by-side as a team, each sharing an even amount of the work. And that work was the beautification of Marbule. Things were progressing extremely well, Marbule was finally becoming the paradise it was meant to be.

"Herr Serge...t'ank you...for every'ting..." Irenes whispered to Serge, to which he shook his head in earnest.

Irenes was taken aback at that moment. She thought back to the day when she had first met Serge. He was trapped within the body of Lynx, but he still remained the same caring young man he always had been. He had inadvertently used his appearance as Lynx to not only gain the trust of the demi-humans, who still hated humans at the time, but he also helped bring them together. It was a combined effort with people like Nikki, Fargo, and Irenes.

Irenes, who to this day, still remained at Serge's side, even though her dream was already being realized, was his constant reminder of many things.

In her beautiful, golden eyes, Serge could see his reflection. However, in this reflection, he didn't see Lynx, but the innocent young man he was born as. This kept his mind, body, and soul focused on whatever objective he had at the time. Whether it be trying to unite the two races, or get his own body back, Serge could always find himself within the eyes of this young sea maiden before him.

Serge was silently grateful for having such a wonderful friend like Irenes to stand up to the Time Devourer with, and Irenes, too, was overjoyed she was able to meet such a caring person, a human, no less. Irenes had seen truly vile and wretched human acts countless times before, even at her young age of sixteen, but never had she known that a human was capable of the kind of redeeming and endearing qualities Serge was.

The sound of Serge's footsteps brought Irenes back to attention, and she saw that he was already walking further into Marbule, taking in all the sights of the new town that lay before him. Irenes quickly caught up to him, and followed him around, wherever he went. The two went all about Marbule, conversating with inhabitants, as well as crew members from the Zelbess that were currently there to help rebuild the town.

Before long, they had found themselves in the vast cavern that was next to the Sage of Marbule's chambers. In the other world, this was where the Black Dragon had slept, but in this world, there was just a beautiful pond of sparkling water.

"Hey! Look who it is!" Irenes heard someone call out to her group.

"Look, Herr Serge, it isht Toma!" Irenes said joyfully. Serge nodded in reply, then walked over to the Great Explorer Toma. He had charted Marbule back during the time in which it was only inhabited by dream monsters, only to have fled once those same monsters gained physical bodies, but had since returned.

"Good to see you again, kid!" Toma beamed. "Been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it hasht." Irenes replied for her silent leader. "Have you been well?"

"Don't you know it!" Toma replied proudly. "This place is great! A lot more peaceful now, wouldn't you say?"

"Ja." Irenes replied.

"Maybe it's about time I settled down, heh. Can't keep going on all these wild adventures nowadays." Toma said sheepishly.

"Oh? And why isht dat?"

"Honey!" Another voice rang out.

The three were joined by another mermaid. She nuzzled up against Toma and then held out a small tray with a cup containing a beverage of some sort.

"Here isht your tea, honey." The mermaid said sweetly.

"Ahahaha, thanks." Toma said bashfully. He took one quick glance at the mermaid, then back at Irenes, then at Serge. He let out another nervous chuckle.

"Honey, this is Serge, why not introduce yourself?"

"Hello!" The mermaid squealed. "I am Toma's wife!"

She then turned away and giggled, her face blushing heavily.

"Goodness, Toma, what isht 'dis all about?" Irenes said, shooting a sly look at Toma.

"Well, now you know, things happen..." Toma replied to Irenes' stare.

The group let out a warm bunch of laughter, a kind of friendly laughter that the two races had perhaps never shared before.

"Perhaps it isht time for us to go, right, Herr Serge?"

Serge nodded in agreement, and soon the group was on their way out of the cave.

"Stop by again sometime!" Toma called to them. "Ah, they're good kids, isn't that right, honey?"

"Wait!" Toma's wife shrieked, causing the exiting group to halt, and Toma to look on in confusion.

"What's wrong, honey?" Toma asked his wife, but she had already bounded over to Irenes.

"Irenes! You should've said some'ting!" The mermaid squealed in pure delight.

"Wha...?" Irenes cocked her head, completely lost as to what she was insinuating.

"Dis human," Said the other mermaid, pointing at Serge. "Herr Serge, he isht your sweetie?"

Serge stepped back in shock, his jaw dropping in disbelief. Irenes too was caught completely off guard, and had a difficult time forming a sentence to rebutt the claim of Toma's wife.

"Herr Serge...? Oh, no no no!" Irenes shook her head rapidly. "Herr Serge isn't...!"

"Don't be shy!" Toma's wife grinned. "Why else would just you two come to such a romantic place like 'dis?"

"But, 'dere washt three of us a moment ago..."

Irenes scanned the area, looking for their third comrade, but they were nowhere to be found.

"Finally! I found you!" Another new voice came into earshot, almost on cue.

"'Dere he isht." Irenes said, pointing to a new figure coming in through the cave entrance.

A young lad in simple commoner's clothes was standing there, tapping his foot impatiently. His hair was a dark purple color, tucked neatly underneath a cap.

"I told you guys to wait for me, but nooooooooo, you were off in a daze! Sheesh!" Serge and Irenes' comrade fumed.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Herr Van!" Irenes said flusteredly. "It isht just 'dat..."

"Quit being so nosy!" Toma's wife shouted, sticking her tongue out at Van. "Can't you see 'dat Herr Serge and Irenes are busy!?"

"Huh? What in the world are you talking about?" Van asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"I t'ink dat may be enough..." Irenes said, trying to calm Toma's wife, but the fiery young mermaid would not be quieted.

"'Dis isht so wonderful! Dere must be a way to remember such a wonderful occasion!" Toma's wife beamed.

Toma walked over to Serge, who had his face buried into his hand.

"Heh, guess I shoulda warned you about her, huh?"

Serge nodded, recovering his face.

"Hahah, are you blushing, kid?" Toma jeered, trying to catch a glimpse of Serge's face to see if he was right. "...You are! I thought so! Quite a catch you got there! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Serge's face shot out of his hand, and he glared at Toma angrily.

"Okay okay, I'll shut up now..." Toma said, backing away from Serge, who was slowly beginning to advance on Toma, his swallow at the ready. But before Serge could retaliate against the embarassing gestures of Toma, he was pulled over to Irenes by Toma's wife.

"'Dis isht so precious!" Toma's wife squealed happily again. "Our little Irenes hasht grown up!"

"Pl...please...'dat is more than enough!" Irenes pleaded, trying to hide her face, as it was beginning to heat up from being so close to Serge. Never before had she been this close, close enough to hear him breathing. It made her feel weak in the fins, but she tried her best to maintain her composure. Serge was no better off, trying to inch away as much as possible, but Toma's wife was already taking the next step in her little matchmaking game...

"Herr Serge, put your arm around Irenes, I have got to see 'dis!"

"'Dis isht insane!" Irenes shouted. "Herr Serge and I do not have a relationship like 'dat..."

Before Irenes could even finish her sentence, Irenes actually felt Serge's left arm coil around her waist and come to rest. She turned her head to him in complete awe.

"H...Herr Serge...?"

From the completely flushed look on his face, Irenes knew that Serge had no idea what he was doing, he was merely acting on impulse. And with his arm locked firmly, but carefully, around her waist, Irenes could feel herself becoming more and more dizzy. She felt like she could faint at any moment, easily collapsing into Serge's waiting arms at the drop of a hat.

"Don't just stand d'ere!" Toma's wife shouted at Irenes. "Herr Serge isht showing his affection!"

"Whoa..." Van looked on in awe. He sighed a bit, removing his cap and running his fingers through his hair collectively. "Man, I'm just a kid, I'm too young to be seeing this kind of stuff. I'm outta here."

Van turned to leave, knowing this was not his place, but something made him stop. He turned once more to look, and something caught his eye. Irenes had since wrapped her arms around over Serge's shoulders and left them there. She had taken the tiara from her head and let her hair flow down freely. The two now stood frozen like that, while Toma's wife pranced around the two happily. Toma, meanwhile, was simply sipping his tea and chuckling lowly to himself.

"Amazing..." Van mumbled to himself. Before he knew what he was doing, Van had whipped out his trusty paintbrush. He rummaged through the pack that was belted to his side and pulled out an assortment of different colors of paint.

"Anyone got an easel?" Van asked of the crowd, "This'd make a great picture!"

While it took some doing, Van was finally able to procure all the necessary materials he needed to begin this new piece of art. While at first, it struck him as a bit odd to be painting a picture of two of his friends, he felt the inspiration flow like water, and his hand glided along the canvas accordingly, etching into the paper an image of two people. While of different races, at this moment, they stood as one.

A short while later, the young artist had finally completed his newest piece. While it was a bit rushed, he felt overly satisfied with the outcome.

"Whew!" Van let out a sigh of relief, setting his paintbrush down. "All finished."

Serge and Irenes then let go of each other and turned away, both still too embarrassed to speak.

"Not bad, huh?" Van said proudly, spinning his easel around to show the others. "Sometimes, I even amaze myself, heh."

"Oooooooh!" Toma's wife squealed. "Honey! Come look at 'dis beautiful painting!"

Toma walked over to the painting and inspected it up and down, giving an approving nod.

"Nice work, kiddo." Toma praised.

"It's been a while since I've had such an initiative to paint, I couldn't pass up this oppurtunity."

Van then scooped up the picture in his hands, and carried it over to Serge and Irenes, who were still turned away from each other, standing there in awkward silence.

"Here." Van said, handing the picture to Irenes. "This is a little token of my appreciation. For reminding me of what being an artist is all about."

"W'at do you mean, Herr Van?" Irenes asked, gently taking hold of the picture, being ever so careful not to smudge the paint, which was still drying.

"Inspiration, of course!" Van boasted. "Being an artist is all about inspiration! We can't simply just draw something and expect it to be a work of art. The essence of the art has to come from within, otherwise, it offers no view as to what, how, or why it was made. We artists convey meanings such as that through our works. That is what gives our paintings a sense of soul, a life, if you will."

"I t'ank you, Herr Van. I shall treasure it, always." Irenes said, shooting a shy look at Serge, who still stood as stiff as a stone.

"Herr Serge...we really must be going." Irenes announced to her leader.

"Yeah, Irenes is right, Serge." Van said. "We've still got one last battle."

Serge nodded, and humbly made his way out of the cave, followed by Van.

"Take care now!" Toma's wife called out. Right before she left, Irenes set the painting down at the entrance of the cave. She turned back to Toma's wife.

"Please put 'dis somewhere safe." Irenes requested.

"Don't worry about a thing." Toma said reassuringly. "We'll keep it safe, so both you and Serge can come back and look at it when it's all over."

"Ja..." Irenes said, finally leaving the cave.

The destination was now set...

The place where it all began...

Is the place where it would all end...

But would it be for the better...?

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_When desperation finally consumes all, when there's nothing left but pain and suffering, the only way to escape it, is to erase the source of it all from existence..._

A lone figure stood on Opassa Beach, looking out at the oncoming waves, watching the subtle walls of water gently caress the shoreline. The beach was completely vacant, save for this person.

This person was a feline demi-human, of sturdy build and intimidating appearance. In his left hand, he held a grand double edged weapon, a swallow. In his other hand, there was what appeared to be a necklace made of lilac beads.

The figure growled silently to himself as he dropped his swallow to the ground, kicking the weapon away with heavy indifference. Bringing the necklace into both hands, he bowed his head, as if to pray to it. He closed his narrow eyes, trying to drown out the waves that had just moments before been a sound of relaxation, but now, were just a nuisance.

The demi-human's mouth opened once, and he silently whispered a name onto the wind...

Clutching the necklace even tighter, the figure withdrew one hand from it, then brought it back with the other. He stood like that for a few seconds, before heaving the necklace into the ocean with all the arm strength he could muster. The necklace landed a good distance away from the beach, making a small splash where it met the water. It floated above the waves for a few scant moments, and then sunk under the endless blue, never to be seen again.

_"Serge...how've you been? I'm...right here..."_

But that was no longer the case. _She_ was no longer around. _She_ vanished into thin air, along with most of the friends that he, the one called Serge, held dear to him.

He had failed. The Time Devourer had defeated Serge, and claimed the El Nido archipeligo for its own. Every human living within the tropical hemisphere was either killed or driven off to lands far away. Now all that remained were the non-humans, the original owners of El Nido before the humans from the mainland colonized it for their very own. Demi-humans, ranging from fairies to dwarves, as well as many other races that once bore resentment to the invading humans were given back their land, to do with whatever they well pleased.

However, Serge too was a human, but yet, he was allowed to remain in El Nido.

Or rather, Serge _was_ a human. As punishment for trying to undermine the ways of the Time Devourer, Serge was once again sealed, this time permanently, inside the body of Lynx, the former Fate Incarnate. In a sickening display of irony, the Time Devourer allowed Serge to live, but at the cost of his human body, and the charge of living inside the one he had so long feared. His humanity stripped away, Serge now existed as Lynx. He retained all of his memories and recollections of his past struggles, but the power of his human form was long gone. While still a tremendous force to be reckoned with in the body of Lynx, Serge could no longer stand up to the Time Devourer, as he was exiled from the body in which he was called "The Assassin of Time." Even Serge's weapon, the mighty Mastermune, was reduced to a worthless toy, a mere shell of its former self. The three entities once encased within the swallow were driven out and banished from existence.

And that was the path that lay before the Chrono Trigger. A lifetime of being sealed within his most despised enemy, the one _she_ had so long hated.

Serge had become Lynx, now, and forever. The Dragon Tear had been destroyed, along with the altar inside Fort Dragonia that stood high atop Mount Pyre. Even if he had the will to try, the items once used to free Serge of his entrapment within Lynx's body were no longer of this world. Faced with an everlasting reflection of the feral fiend he had once fought against, Serge had to accept the fact that he was Lynx, and nothing would change that.

Time and again, the demi-humans of El Nido would greet Serge as if they were talking to the actual Lynx, and Serge tried his best to acknowledge their courtesy. They had their just reasons for wanting to be rid of the human race, having endured so much pain and suffering at their hands, so Serge, while once a human being, could not hold a grudge. He now existed as one of them, and he knew he would have to learn to accept his new life, sooner or later.

However, this was not a struggle so easily won.

Serge had a deep hatred burning deep within his soul. A hatred of the Time Devourer for driving the humans away from El Nido, and for the disappearance of his friends. Even his home of Arni Village bore almost no resemblence to the small fishing village he once knew. It had since been changed drastically by the new demi-human residents. His house was burned down mercilessly by them, the demi-humans too caught up on cleansing Arni Village of the "filthy human dwellings" for them to even warrant a care to Serge's plight.

Any and all records of Serge's trials and tribulations to bring down the wall between humans and demi-humans were erased from the memories of the populace, and the social differences had been reset to the way they started. It looked as though only Serge still retained memories of the altered past now.

While never vindictive of the demi-humans, seeing his home destroyed caused a spark within Serge. It was only minute at first, and Serge adamantly kept it bottled up inside of him. This only made things worse, as that small spark of anger soon emulated into so much more. Serge tried time and again to repress the feelings, but every time he looked into the mighty blue oceans of El Nido and saw that heinous face of Lynx staring back at him, he thought of his small town. The place where he was born, and the place where everything began...

But now there was nothing left that even remotely resembled the boy's former home. Everything had since been changed. Serge no longer took up residence there, he now wandered about El Nido, never staying in one spot, always on the move. It was much too painful to try to restart a life he could no longer have.

Serge tried with every ounce of will within his being to remain as the entity of "Serge," and to never be reduced to the notorious reputation the real Lynx had presented to him.

But today, today was going to be different...

Serge picked up the Mastermune and drove it into the ground beside him, the sandy beaches giving way to the weapon with ease. Serge's, or rather, Lynx's, eyes narrowed to slits, and he started discontently back at the village of demi-humans which was just beyond Opassa Beach.

Raising his right hand into the air, Serge closed his fingers into an extremely tight fist. It was so tight that his claws dug into his palms, drawing blood that flowed down his wrists. The stabbing pain and the blood that flowed from the wounds only pushed Serge ever closer to bringing everything he once knew to an end...

If he was to be known as Lynx for the rest of his days, then so be it. Serge had accepted that fact. However, along with acceptance of Lynx's body, he finally decided to try and rid himself of any and all memories of his past, in other words, "Serge's" spirit. And what better way to erase that entity than by erasing the place where he had been born? The place where he became, "An Angel that has lost their way."

Dark energy began to pulse throughout Surge's raised arm, growing ever large with each passing second. It was his ultimate attack, an attack that he thought he would never use again.

_The power to reduce everything to eternal nothingness..._

The power...of Forever Zero.

But this was to be the ultimate rendition of the attack, and nothing in its path would have a prayer of survival. Everything would be swallowed up by the void. While he had used this attack time and again before, he had always used his left hand, which was the recessive. This, in turn, limited the destruction that the attack could unleash. Now, he was using his dominant arm, and Forever Zero flared to its full capability.

Arni Village, the demi-humans living there, Opassa Beach, all of it would be erased within a silent wave of darkness. There would be nothing but a lifeless cinder left by the ultimate form of Forever Zero...

Serge made his decision then and there. Lynx would be his ego, his existence, and every little thing that reminded him of his former self would be destroyed, starting with Arni. This was to be the beginning of the end for "Serge," and the reemergence of "Lynx."

Serge garnered every ounce of hatred, resentment, anger, and despair he could muster, and those negative feelings further empowered the wave that would end everything and anything it came into contact with. The ocean waters began to whip around violently, and the local fauna was torn asunder from its stems.

The oncoming attack could be seen from miles away...

"Looks like a storm's brewing." One demi-human of Arni Village pointed out as he saw the clouds begin to turn black.

"Let's get everyone to a safe location." Another resident said, motioning that all of the townsfolk seek shelter from the so-called "storm."

But there would be no escape, everything within the sheer power of Forever Zero's wake would be reduced to ash. And little did the people of Arni Village know, it would be one of their own that did the deed.

The attack now at its peak, Serge began to pull Forever Zero to the ground, where it would unleash a detonation of chaos, engulfing everything around it. And in the middle of it all, stood Serge, now as Lynx, a sick, twisted smile beginning to form on his face. His lips curled up, revealing the razor sharp fangs in his mouth.

"Stop it!" A new voice rang out through the area. Serge looked around, but saw no one, almost like the plea for a cease-fire came out of thin air.

Or perhaps, from the waters of the ocean...

Serge's fist containing the power of Forever Zero slowly began to unclench, and the attack began to dissipate. But Serge would not be denied his chance of truly becoming the person he saw every time he looked into the clear water's reflection. He refused, and tried once more to rebuild the attack to its full capacity.

"Please...don't do it..." That same voice came about once more.

That voice, it was a familiar one of days gone by. It was as soft and calm as the ocean waters, but at the same time, powerful enough as the waves that were now crashing onto the beach. Serge felt himself beginning to lose his focus, the memories of his human self trying to force out any notions of such a heinous and brutal massacre.

After a harsh struggle between sanity and madness, his human side won, and Forever Zero was halted entirely. The waves returned to their normal density, and the clouds lost their pitch black hue.

"Huh, well would you look at that? The storm's over already!" An Arni villager cheered happily.

The whole village of demi-humans all breathed a sigh of relief, then returned to their daily lives, not the least bit worried that they were moments away from total obliteration.

Serge dropped to his knees, looking at his hands. They were covered with black soot, physical remnants of Forever Zero. Serge shook his head rapidly, coming to his senses at last. He too breathed a sigh of relief, that he had not become a heartless monster for his own ends. While he was Lynx in body, he was still Serge in mind and spirit, that was a fact that would never change.

But the question was: where did that voice come from?

Scanning the area again with much more attention, Serge still found the beach to be completely empty.

Had he imagined the whole thing? Was the voice just his own soul calling out to him?

Whatever the case, Serge needed to cleanse his hands of his near mistake. He did not want his hands, as hideous as they were, to be covered in a reminder of his attempt of mass genocide.

Walking past the downed Mastermune, which now lay a few yards away, Serge dipped his hands into the cool ocean waters, rinsing the black soot off as fervently as he could. The salt water stung at his self-inflicted wounds, causing tremendous pain. Serge flinched in agony, but continued to wash the soot, as well as the blood, from his hands. As he did so, he saw something out in the water, and it was quickly coming closer.

Serge's eyes lit up in shock as a small hint of lilac began to show amidst the blue. Getting to his feet, Serge walked knee-deep into the water and picked the object up from the sea floor. Somehow, the necklace he had just thrown into the sea had found its way back to him, almost as if it wanted to come back.

Serge clutched the necklace tightly, then looked out once more into the ocean. He bowed his head and silently began to contemplate what had just transpired. However, the waves picked up again slightly, snapping Serge back to attention. A second figure emerged from the ocean. It was a mermaid, a girl of the sea. However, this wasn't just any mermaid...

_"Herr Serge..."_

It was Irenes. A mermaid from the village of Marbule, and one of Serge's former allies. She was the younger sister of the late Zelbess, a mermaid whom had fallen in love with another of Serge's allies, the pirate captain, Fargo.

The love between Zelbess and Fargo was thought to be one that would finally bridge the gap between humans and demi-humans, but it was never to be. However, regardless of their racial differences, or the criticism they recieved from human and demi-human alike, Zelbess and Fargo still loved each other as any other couple would.

Zelbess had passed away some time ago, and Fargo slowly became a changed man. But near the end of his journey with Serge's company, Fargo rediscovered what he had since forgotten. With their defeat at the Time Devourer's hands, Fargo layed down his life, so that he could finally be reunited with his beloved Zelbess.

And with Zelbess and Fargo gone forever, Irenes was all alone. She had no one, and lived a life of solitude within her hometown of Marbule. She had very little qualms, perhaps the only one being that she missed being loved.

After her parents passed away, Irenes was raised by her older sister, Zelbess. She soon took on many endearing traits of her sibling, most notably the idea that humans and demi-humans could find peace with one another. However, those ideals were shattered by the Time Devourer, as the humans were no longer in El Nido.

Without Zelbess, and without Fargo, Irenes felt lost. She was on the brink of giving up, had it not been for one person.

"Herr Serge..." Irenes called out once again.

It was Serge, even confined forever within Lynx's body, that kept Irenes going. He shared the same ideals as both Zelbess and Fargo, and even Nikki, trying in his own unsung way to unite the two races.

Even after he had become a wandering spirit, Serge would constantly visit Marbule, among other places, and grace Irenes with his company. He would confide his deepest and most troubled secrets to her, as he trusted her like any of his other friends. And at the same time, Irenes would listen with an open ear and a caring heart, constantly consoling the troubled boy. Serge looked to Irenes as one of the few remaining friends he had left that he could bear his aching soul to, and Irenes looked at him just the same, and then some.

While she kept it to herself for the majority of their travels, Irenes was only able to hold out for so long. She cared for Serge, even beyond simple friendship. But, Irenes knew that Serge's heart belonged to another, so she was only able to stand to the side. But now, Serge had lost _her_, and it was eating away at him. This attack she had just barely halted was proof enough of that.

Serge needed an existence to call his own, and not that of Lynx. But, trapped within the feline demi-human's body, Serge was only able to retain any small shred of himself through the visions of his friends that remained. And perhaps the most important of them all, was the young maiden of the sea that floated before him.

Serge stepped back out of the water and turned away, holding the necklace at his side. Irenes withdrew herself out of the water and came behind Serge, looking around him.

"It isht a beautiful place, Herr Serge, don't you agree?" Irenes asked, to which Serge nodded.

"I didn't...want to see you throw it all away..."

Serge dropped the necklace at his feet and crossed his arms indignantly. Irenes sighed heavily, and then knelt down and picked up the jewelery.

"W'at will you do now, Herr Serge?" Asked the young mermaid, to which Serge shrugged his shoulders.

"If it...if it's not...too much trouble...Herr Serge...might I make a suggestion...?"

Serge gave his usual way of answering any question, which was, of course, a nod of his head.

"You seem troubled...much more 'den before...would...would you like to...come live...in Marbule...?"

Serge looked over his shoulder at Irenes. He could see her cheeks were starting to turn red.

"Would you...Herr Serge...?" She asked again. "Please...? I believe it would be the best option, for you, and...for me..."

Serge turned around and looked down at Irenes, who was still sitting, holding the necklace in her hands.

"I understand if you do not want to, though..." Irenes said dejectedly.

Serge shook his head once more, then exited the beach through the coral fixtures. Seconds later, he was no longer in sight.

"I see..." Irenes said to the empty air. She stood back up and removed the tiara from her head, letting her hair fall down her face. It was her only way to mask her quivering lip and watery eyes...

Irenes set the necklace down gently on the beach and then prepared to return to the sea from which she came. She looked back once more at the deserted beach before her, and saw only the necklace she brought back to Serge.

"Goodbye...Herr Serge..." Irenes whispered solemnly to herself.

As she prepared to dive back underneath the waves, Irenes heard someone return to the beach. She shot once final glance back over her shoulder, and saw that Serge had come back. Once again, the necklace was in his hands. Irenes stopped when she saw Serge wave to her out of the corner of her eye. This prompted her to turn back around and return to the beach. As she did so, she saw Serge begin to bury the lilac necklace under the warm sand. By the time she was back onto the beach, he had already laid the fragment of his past to rest.

Irenes sat down next to Serge as he bid his silent farewells to the owner of the necklace.

"I am sure...she still loves you, even now, Herr Serge. Please don't be sad, she wouldn't want d'at." Irenes confided to Serge, to which he nodded contently.

Irenes sighed once more, then stood back up. She knew this was pointless, Serge had already made up his mind to remain a drifting soul, and nothing would change that. While she saw that it was slowly killing him inside, she had no say in the matter.

"Please come visit me again soon, Herr Serge. I shall be waiting for you..." Irenes whispered to Serge. Once more she started for the water, but was stopped when Serge grabbed hold of her hand.

"...Herr Serge...?"

Before she knew what was happening, Serge had placed something in her hand and turned away quickly, sheepishly covering his face. Irenes looked down, and her face lit up in shock.

"It isht beautiful!" Irenes exclaimed when she saw just what exactly Serge had given her.

While very crude in construction, it was a necklace of Komodo Dragon Scales. It seemed as if in that one brief moment they were apart, Serge had gathered up as many scales as he could find and strung them together. While paling in comparison to the exotic jewels she was already wearing, Irenes knew that this was a gift from the heart of Serge, and that was the greatest one of all.

Looking at the lustrous rainbow design of the scales, Irenes felt something stir in her soul. It was, and this she was sure of, a feeling of love. The very same kind she could feel that Zelbess and Fargo had once shared. A forbidden love between two different races, but a love just the same. And now, holding this gift within her small, trembling hands, Irenes could feel it too.

"Herr Serge, t'ank you...I will treasure it, always, almost as much...as I treasure you..."

Irenes wrapped her arms around Serge's waist and rested her head on his back, sighing dreamily. Serge moved not an inch as Irenes clung to him, he simply tilted his head upward, almost like he was looking up at something in the sky. They remained like that for what seemed to be an eternity, neither moving, neither speaking. Just merely standing there. It was a truly inspirational embrace...

She was Irenes, a young mermaid who's only remaining desire was to be loved. He was Serge, a fallen Angel, whose only remaining piece of remembrance was this beautiful girl of the sea who was clutching tightly onto him.

They were perhaps the only two remaining souls in all of El Nido who could truly understand each other now...

_If the beginning can't be erased, the only option is to create an even better beginning. Just as a work of art can begin anew, so can a troubled soul start over again..._

_**'Fin**_


End file.
